Software Developers Salary in North Carolina
At $134,710 a year, the median for software developers in North Carolina is close to the national median of $135,980 (−1%); North Carolina ranks 12th of 50 states by median. Software Developers earn 2.8 times the median across all occupations in North Carolina ($47,970). Among neighbouring states, Virginia pays more (up to $136,460 in Virginia) and Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee pay less (down to $122,430 in Tennessee). North Carolina employs 58,470 software developers, 11.8 per 1,000 jobs, the 7th largest count of any state. A location quotient of 1.09 is close to the national share.
North Carolina vs the United States, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| North Carolina | Hourly | $40.31 | $50.25 | $64.76 | $79.21 | $86.21 | $65.84 | 58,470 | 11.83 | 1.09 |
| Annual | $83,840 | $104,530 | $134,710 | $164,750 | $179,310 | $136,940 | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $39.64 | $50.58 | $65.38 | $82.68 | $103.21 | $71.20 | 1,687,890 | – | – |
| Annual | $82,460 | $105,210 | $135,980 | $171,980 | $214,670 | $148,100 | ||||
- Rank by median
- 12th of 50 states
- Rank by employment
- 7th of 51 states
- Location quotient
- 1.09
- Jobs per 1,000
- 11.83
Ranks count the 50 states and DC with a published value. The location quotient is the occupation's share of North Carolina's employment divided by its national share; 1.00 means the same share as the nation. Take-home pay at these wages: FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Metropolitan areas in North Carolina
16 metropolitan areas and 3 nonmetropolitan areas touching North Carolina publish a row for software developers, sorted by median. Areas crossing a state line are listed under every state they touch; a linked metro has its own profile.
| Area | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC | $65.35 | $135,920 | $93,690 | $172,360 | 20,820 | 15.33 | 1.41 |
| Durham-Chapel Hill, NC | $65.20 | $135,620 | $100,670 | $209,410 | 9,790 | 28.47 | 2.62 |
| Asheville, NC | $64.59 | $134,350 | $83,370 | $215,750 | 780 | 4.34 | 0.40 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $63.83 | $132,770 | $80,080 | $185,110 | 12,580 | 16.93 | 1.56 |
| Rocky Mount, NC | $62.79 | $130,600 | $75,460 | $165,670 | 120 | 2.22 | 0.20 |
| Pinehurst-Southern Pines, NC | $62.62 | $130,240 | $75,210 | $162,120 | 200 | 4.56 | 0.42 |
| Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC | $62.06 | $129,090 | $80,090 | $178,830 | 7,160 | 9.38 | 0.86 |
| Burlington, NC | $61.33 | $127,570 | $80,680 | $171,700 | 270 | 3.95 | 0.36 |
| Greensboro-High Point, NC | $60.19 | $125,190 | $79,180 | $169,110 | 1,710 | 4.67 | 0.43 |
| Winston-Salem, NC | $59.68 | $124,130 | $78,700 | $169,360 | 1,050 | 3.87 | 0.36 |
| Wilmington, NC | $59.49 | $123,730 | $78,980 | $190,390 | 880 | 4.58 | 0.42 |
| Greenville, NC | $59.46 | $123,680 | $78,290 | $167,900 | 230 | 2.88 | 0.27 |
| Jacksonville, NC | $59.19 | $123,110 | $76,270 | $177,120 | 140 | 2.58 | 0.24 |
| Fayetteville, NC | $59.09 | $122,900 | $75,010 | $170,190 | 420 | 3.16 | 0.29 |
| Hickory-Lenoir-Morganton, NC | $58.91 | $122,540 | $76,130 | $197,080 | 420 | 2.73 | 0.25 |
| Goldsboro, NC | $46.22 | $96,140 | $60,880 | $160,740 | 50 | 1.17 | 0.11 |
| Western North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $59.62 | $124,010 | $76,370 | $169,570 | 610 | 2.40 | 0.22 |
| Central North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $59.37 | $123,490 | $77,970 | $170,450 | 340 | 1.42 | 0.13 |
| Eastern North Carolina nonmetropolitan area | $59.36 | $123,470 | $67,260 | $166,150 | 530 | 2.01 | 0.19 |
Neighbouring states
| State | Median hourly | Median annual | Employment | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | $64.76 | $134,710 | 58,470 | 1.09 |
| Georgia | $62.99 | $131,010 | 49,700 | 0.94 |
| South Carolina | $62.24 | $129,450 | 13,230 | 0.53 |
| Tennessee | $58.86 | $122,430 | 19,030 | 0.53 |
| Virginia | $65.61 | $136,460 | 88,280 | 1.98 |
See the national page for Software Developers (every state ranked) and the North Carolina wage profile (every occupation in the state).
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS North Carolina estimates.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.